Garra kalpangi , a new cyprinid fish species ( Pisces : Teleostei ) from upper Brahmaputra basin in Arunachal Pradesh , India

A new cyprinid species, Garra kalpangi is described from the Kalpangi River (Brahmaputra basin) in Arunachal Pradesh, India. The species is closely similar to G. gravelyi, G. rotundinasus and G. elongata in having a shared character i.e. a weakly developed proboscis. It is distinguishable from G. gravelyi for the absence of indistinct black spot at the bases of branched dorsal fin rays and lateral stripes on the side of the body. However, G. rotundinasus possesses lateral stripe along the lateral line. Further, the absence of transverse groove at the tip of snout and longitudinal black band in medial coudal fin differentiated it from G. elongata. The detail comparative account of the 16 available species of northeastern India confirmed its distinct diagnosis as a new species under the genus. Accordingly, after thorough investigation, the taxonomic keys for all the available species under the genus from the region have also been erected in this article.


IntroductIon
The cyprinid fish genus Garra Hamilton, 1822, is a bottom dwelling fish.The genus consists of approximately 70 species in the region from Borneo, southern China and southern Asia through Middle East Asia, Arabian Peninsula and East Africa to West Africa (Zhang & Chen 2002).In the first revision of the genus, adopting Garra Hamilton as the generic name, Hora (1921) described seven new species from the Himalayan foothill drainages, viz.G. annandalei from Assam and streams at the base of the Darjeeling Himalaya, G. abhoyai from neighborhood hill streams of Ukhrul District in Manipur, G. naganensis from Senapati stream in Naga Hills, Assam (now in Manipur), G. prashadi from Malwa Tal, Uttar Pradesh (now in Uttarakhand), G. chaudhurii from Darjeeling District in northern Bengal, G. jenkinsonianum from Sita Nullah, Paresnath Hills in Bengal and G. kempi from Abor Hills, Assam (now in Arunachal Pradesh).Menon (1964) recognized 38 species and kept the species status of G. abhoyai, G. chaudurii, G. prashadi and G. jenkinsonianum as junior synonyms of G. rupecula, G. annandalei, G. lamta and G. mullya, respectively.Other known species in the Himalayan foothills and the adjoining regions draining into the Brahmaputra and Ganga basins include G. rupecula, G. lissorhynchus, G. lamta, G. gotyla, and G. nasuta (Hora 1921;Menon 1964).
There are seven species of Garra, namely, G. lissorhynchus, G. annandalei, G. gotyla, G. kempi, G. lamta, G. mcclellandi and G. naganensis reported from Arunachal Pradesh (Nath & Dey 2000).Comparison of a species population of the genus Garra having a weakly developed proboscis, collected from the Kalpangi River in Arunachal Pradesh with the species distributed in the Himalayan foothill drainages of northeastern India and the species from the upper Irrawaddy basin in China and the Rakhine states in Myanmar reveals that the species represents an undescribed species, herein described as Garra kalpangi sp.nov.(Fig. 1).

MaterIal and Methods
The descriptions are based on formalin preserved specimens.Counts, measurements and terminology follow Kullander & Fang (2004) and measurements were taken from point to point with digital calipers to 0.1mm.Fin rays and numbers of scales were counted under a zoom stereoscopic microscope.Lateral line scales counted from the anterior most scale in contact with the shoulder girdle to the last scale on the caudal fin; lateral transverse scales above lateral line counted from dorsal-fin origin to lateral line obliquely ventrad and caudad and scales below lateral line counted from anal-fin origin to lateral line obliquely dorsad and rostrad.Additional terminology used for description of disc follows Zhang et al. (2002).Other additional measurement techniques are as follows: disc width is the widest portion of the lower lip, and disc length is taken from anterior mid-point of the anterior papillate skin fold to the posterior mid-point of the posterior margin of the mental disc.Lateral line scales were counted from the anterior most scale in contact with the shoulder girdle to the last scale on the caudal fin.Measurements of different morphometric parameters are given in percentages of standard length.For vertebral count, two specimens were dissected and stained with alizarin S. Abdominal vertebrae were counted from the first four vertebrae of the weberian apparatus to the last vertebra bearing pleural rib and caudal vertebrae were counted from the vertebra immediately posterior to anal fin pterygiophore.Some snout structures are addressed here with uniform terminology.The sublachrymal groove originates from the base of the rostral barbel and usually extends horizontally above the level of the groove of the rostral cap.
Comparison of the present material with G. rotundinasus, G. gravelyi, G. rupecula, G. lamta and other known species distributed in China and Myanmar are made on published description, while for comparison with other congeners, their holotype and paratype are personally examined and measured.Specimens are deposited in the Rajiv Gandhi University Museum of Fishes (RGUMF).
description Measurements and counts taken from 10 specimens, 50.0-72.4mm SL are given in Table 1.General body Body elongate, compressed laterally, more on caudal peduncle region; dorsal profile smoothly arched to dorsal-fin origin, then straight from posterior end of dorsal-fin base to caudal-fin base; ventral profile flat from head to chest, then more or less round up to pelvic-fin origin, and straight from pelvic to caudal-fin base.Head small, more or less depressed with a convex interorbital space; height less than length; width greater than height.Snout blunt, without transverse groove on tip, with a few minute to large tubercles across its tip and lateral sides anterior to nostrils; sublachrymal groove free from lateral groove of rostral cap; a poorly developed proboscis represented by a squarish area in the front of the nostrils; rostral lobe absent.Eyes placed dorsolaterally in middle of head.
Two pairs of barbels; rostral ones anteroventrally located, shorter than eye diameter; maxillary ones at corner of mouth, shorter than rostral ones.Rostral cap well developed, moderately crenulated, and with a wide papillate margin; separated from the upper jaw by a deep groove and laterally continuous with lower lip by a flat papillate connective tissue.No upper lip in the form of papillose tissue and no papillose fold in the corner of mouth.Upper jaw entirely covered by rostral cap.Lower lip modified into a mental adhesive disc.Disc elliptical, shorter than wide; anterior margin modified to form a transverse, flat, fleshy and crescentic skin fold covered by numerous tiny papillae; anteriorly separated from lower jaw by a deep groove running along lower jaw and posteriorly bordered in a deep groove with central callous pad; lateral and posterior margin surrounding central callous pad papillate and free; posteriormost margin not reaching vertical from posterior margin of eye.
Dorsal fin with 2(4), 3(5) simple and 8(9) branched rays; last simple ray shorter than or equal to HL; distal margin slightly concave; originated closer to snout tip than to caudal-fin base, inserted anterior to pelvic fin; first and second branched rays longest, last branched ray not extending to vertical from anal-fin origin.Pectoral fin with one simple and 10(3), 11(3), 12(3) branched rays, reaching beyond midway to pelvic-fin origin; its length less than or equal to HL; subacuminate margin; fourth branched ray longest.Pelvic fin with one simple and 7(3), 8(6) branched rays, reaching beyond midway to anal-fin origin, surpassing the vent; its outer margin blunt; second branched ray longest.Anal fin short with 2(6), 3(3) simple and 5 (9) branched rays; first branched ray longest, straight posterior margin; tip extending to base of caudal fin or slightly shorter; origin of anal fin closer to caudalfin base than to pelvic-fin origin.Caudal fin deeply emarginate; lobe tips pointed, 10 th ray shortest; lobes equally long or lower slightly longer.Lateral line complete with 32(2), 33(7) scales.Scales in transverse row above lateral line 3½( 9) and below lateral line 3½(8), 4 (1).Circumpeduncular scales 16 (9).Predorsal scales 10(6), 11(3); scales arranged regularly.Long axillary scale at base of pelvic fin reaching beyond its base.A row of 3 scales between vent and anal-fin base.

colour in preservative
Dorsum and sides of head dark gray; head, chest, and abdomen yellowish.Dorsal, anal, pelvic, and pectoral fins grayish-white.Caudal fin light grayish with a thin, short marginal stripe each on tip of upper lobe dorsally and on tip of lower lobe ventrally; in three specimens, with more or less indistinct grayish wide band along middle rays.A black spot at the upper angle of gill opening.

etymology
Name is given as noun in apposition after the name of the River Kalpangi in Yazali, Lower Subansiri District, Arunachal Pradesh from where the specimen was first collected.to Garra kalpangi sp.nov.whereas, later 4 species show the presence of strong proboscis.
Comparison in morphometric data and meristic count of Garra kalpangi sp.nov.with other known valid species of Himalayan foothill regions and its ranges is shown in the Table 2 and Appendix 1. G. kalpangi sp.nov.further differs from G. annandalei in having absence (vs.presence) of upper lip and a pleated papilliferous fold in the corner of mouth; rostral cap groove shallow, short, not extending up to base of rostral barbel (vs.deep, long, extending up to base of rostral barbel); from G. abhoyai in having absence (vs.presence) of w-shaped band on caudal fin; from G. arupi in the absence (vs.presence) of a submarginal black band of dorsal fin and thin stripes on caudal peduncle.
Garra lissorhynchus, G. paralissorhynchus and G. manipurensis have a rostral lobe on tip of the snout, which can easily differentiate the three species from G. kalpangi sp.nov.Rostral lobe is a triangular section of the snout anterodorsal to the base of the anterior barbel; well demarcated but not elevated from the rest of the snout (Kullander & Fang 2004).G. kalpangi sp.nov.further differs from G. lissorhynchus and G. paralissorhynchus in the absence (vs.presence) of w-shaped band on caudal fin.
Garra kalpangi sp.nov.further differs from G. rupecula in having less lateral line scales (32-33 vs. 35); absence (vs.presence) of two rows of open pores, each on interorbital and internarial region; from G. lamta in having absence (vs.presence) of broad lateral band from gill-opening to base of caudal fin with incomplete dark narrow stripes above and below it, especially in the posterior half of body; absence (vs.presence) of a black spot at the base of the caudal fin and a deep transverse groove at the tip of the snout.
Garra gotyla, G. nasuta and G. litanensis are characteristic in having a prominent proboscis with large tubercles, a distinct transverse lobe at the tip of the snout with large tubercles, black spots at the bases of branched dorsal-fin rays (Menon 1964;Vishwanath 1993).Only these characters can easily differentiate the three species from G. kalpangi sp.nov.
When Nath & Day (2000) reported seven species of Garra in Arunachal Pradesh, a peninsular form, G. mcclellandi was also included.His identification of G. mcclellandi in the Himalayan foothill region is ambiguous.However, G. kalpangi sp.nov.differs from G. mcclellandi in the absence (vs.presence) of a distinct dark midlateral stripe from the gill opening to the base of the caudal fin; snout moderately rounded (vs.conical); absence (vs.presence) of a transverse groove at the tip of the snout; less lateral line scales (31-32 vs. 35-38); more predorsal scales (10-12 vs. 8-10).Kullander & Fang (2004) described seven new species found in different streams of the Rakhine state in Myanmar.The species are Garra propulvinus, G. vittatula, G. rakhinica, G. flavatra, G. nigricollis, G. spilota and G. poecilura.Most species except (G.spilota) have a distinct rostral lobe on snout.Only this character can easily differentiate the above six species from G. kalpangi sp.nov.G. kalpangi sp.nov.differs from G. spilota in the absence (vs.presence) of blotches on the body; absence (vs.presence) of pleated papilliferous fold at the corner of mouth between exposed lower jaw and lower lip; less transverse scale rows above lateral line (3½ vs. 4½ ), scale rows below lateral line (3½ vs. 4½).
There is a nominal species distributed in northeastern India, viz., Garra chaudhurii Hora considered as a juniour synonym of G. annandalei (Menon 1964).In the original description of G. chaudhurii, the characters i.e. variation in the shape of disc among specimens, presence of 32-33 lateral line scales are mentioned.However, variation of disc is not observed among different sizes of 25 specimens of G. annandalei deposited in the RGUMF.The differentiating characters and geographical distribution of G. gotyla and G. nasuta are also very ambiguous.So, a review of the species based on the materials collected from their respective type localities is highly needed.In most Garra species, the lateral deep groove of the rostral cap is continuous to the shallow sublachrymal groove extending from the base of the rostral barbel (Fig. 2a-d).In G. kalpangi sp.nov.and G. paralissorhynchus, the grooves are not connected free from each other.In the former species, the sublachrymal groove runs horizontally above the level of the groove of the rostral cap and in the latter, the sublachrymal groove runs horizontally below the level of the groove of rostral cap.In G. annandalei, the rostral cap groove is deep and runs upto the base of rostral barbel.So, no two different grooves can be seen.The groove of the rostral cap extends to the base of the rostral barbel.In G. naganensis, G. lissorhynchus and G. elongata, the rostral cap groove continues to the shallow sublachrymal groove.In G. abhoyai the sublachrymal is absent or present as an indistinct line and continuous to the groove of rostral cap.

Image 1 .
Garra kalpangi sp.nov., holotype, RGUMF-0006, 60mm SL.; Lateral view appearance in Image 1 and morphology of the mental adhesive disc and head dorsum are shown in Images 2a-b respectively.

4 mm SL, diagnosis Garra kalpangi sp. nov. is characterized from its
congeners of the Himalayan foothills by the combination of characters: two pairs of barbels, a poorly developed proboscis represented by a squarish area in front of the nostrils and 16 circumpeduncular scales.